Where does “if” come from?
if (Middle English) comes from Old English ġif, from Proto-Germanic jabai, from Proto-Indo-European ē- — then, at that time.
Ancestry of “if”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | ġif | if |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | jabai | when, if |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | ē- | then, at that time |